Set Up Your Personal Web Space

Questions

  • How do I set up my personal web space at Bowdoin?
  • How do I activate the public_html folder for my website?
  • How do I run websetup on Windows or macOS?
  • What is my personal website address?
  • Can I use PHP on my personal web pages?

Environment

This article applies to Bowdoin faculty, staff, and students. Bowdoin provides space on its web server for personal pages. The steps below activate that space by creating a public_html folder in your home directory.

Note: Bowdoin IT does not provide support for building or troubleshooting personal web pages — using this space assumes you are comfortable with the basics of building websites. Once activated, you can copy files into public_html or publish with SFTP (see Access Your Personal Web Space via SFTP in the Related Articles section).

Resolution

Windows (PuTTY)

  1. Download and open PuTTY.
  2. Type shell.bowdoin.edu into the Host Name box and make sure SSH is selected, then click Open.
  3. At the login as: prompt, type your Bowdoin username and press Enter.
  4. At the password prompt, type your Bowdoin password and press Enter.
  5. At the prompt, type websetup and press Enter. This creates a public_html folder in your home directory and adds a starter index.html.
  6. Type logout to exit.

macOS (Terminal)

  1. Open Terminal (in Applications > Utilities).
  2. Type ssh yourusername@shell.bowdoin.edu (using your Bowdoin username) and press Return.
  3. Enter your Bowdoin password at the prompt.
  4. Type websetup and press Return to create the public_html folder and starter index.html.
  5. Type logout to exit.

View your site

Open a web browser and go to your home page address — for example, http://tildesites.bowdoin.edu/~username. A welcome page confirms the setup ran successfully. You can then edit your home page and add other pages.

PHP: For security, PHP is disabled by default on personal web pages. If you need PHP, contact the Service Desk.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
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